Results 9,301-9,320 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: Approximately 10,000 additional social homes will be provided this year. That is more than any year in the past 20 through the boom and the bust. It will be up to 11,000 next year and 12,000 the year after. Approximately 60,000 new homes will be added to the social housing stock over the coming five years. It is probably the biggest social housing programme that has happened in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I think it is heart-breaking that so many children are living in emergency accommodation at any time of year, but particularly at this time of year. Even though they may go in and out of it quite quickly, as the Deputy said - perhaps six months or a year in some cases - that is still far too long and there are far too many cases. I am unsure where the Deputy's projected figures come...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I am not sure I can add much to the response I gave earlier but to reiterate, the fuel allowance, or the energy allowance, as it will be called, will increase in January and that will help people with their energy costs. The child dependant allowance also will increase, which will help the poorest families who have children with bills in general. We are retrofitting social housing. One of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: We are using the proceeds of that carbon tax increase to pay for more retrofitting of social housing to increase the fuel allowance. We are also building more social housing. Approximately 11,000 houses will be added to the social housing stock next year; while 10,000 were added this year. Those houses, three quarters of which are new builds, are built to the highest standard and are warm...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I have immense respect for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as an organisation and I will look at the report. The Government will issue a reasoned response when it has had a chance to consider the report. On the wider issue, everyone is entitled to their own opinions but they are not entitled to their own facts. If we had a two-tier economic recovery in Ireland, we would not see...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has given me the courtesy of a very direct question. Unfortunately, I have not yet had the chance to read that report so I would have to look at it before I could tell him which recommendations we can and cannot implement. I acknowledge that many people in Ireland experience energy poverty, or fuel poverty, if one prefers to use that term. This is particularly relevant at this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Judicial Council Bill only recently became law. Legislation only becomes law after it is passed by the Oireachtas and signed by the President.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: While it only became law in the last few weeks, it is now possible for the Chief Justice to establish the aforementioned committee.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Chief Justice is now establishing that committee. As the Deputy knows, the Judiciary guards its independence fiercely, and is right to do so. It is not for this House to set a timeline for its work. However, I will ask for the work to be carried out as expeditiously as possible. Perhaps the chairman of the committee, or the Chief Justice himself, can inform us as to what timeline they...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: -----in the way the Garda Commissioner thinks best.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which all in this House know is a significant concern for the business sector, sports clubs, crèches and community halls, all of which are facing the cost of rising insurance premiums. We and everyone involved in the sector, including insurance companies, Judiciary and others, need to recognise that increasing insurance costs have a...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committee Meetings (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 16 together. The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure last met on 4 November and is scheduled to next meet on 16 December. The Cabinet Committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach in the areas of infrastructure investment and delivery, Project Ireland 2040, and Rebuilding Ireland. There is significant work underway across each of the areas covered...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Economic and Social Council (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The National Economic and Social Council is an independent statutory agency operating under the aegis of my Department. The Council analyses and reports on strategic policy matters relevant to Ireland's economic, social, environmental and sustainable development. The NESC is a valuable forum where economic, social and environmental issues can be discussed between a variety of actors and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Economic and Social Council (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The National Economic and Social Council is an independent statutory agency operating under the aegis of my Department. The Council analyses and reports on strategic policy matters relevant to Ireland's economic, social, environmental and sustainable development. The NESC is a valuable forum where economic, social and environmental issues can be discussed between a variety of actors and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Data (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: My Department currently avails of a contract cleaning service as a temporary measure to ensure that service levels in my Department are maintained while a recruitment process for additional cleaning staff is undertaken. In this regard, there is currently one contract cleaner employed on an agency basis in my Department. There are no agency staff currently employed by the National Economic...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Data (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested in respect of the years 2014 - 2018 is detailed in the following table. There are currently 221.65 whole time equivalent staff employed in my Department. The administration pay budget for 2019 is €16.046 million. The increase in staff numbers reflects the additional responsibilities assigned to my Department in respect of climate action, national security,...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Economic and Social Council (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The National Economic and Social Council is an independent statutory agency operating under the aegis of my Department. The Council analyses and reports on strategic policy matters relevant to Ireland's economic, social, environmental and sustainable development. The NESC is a valuable forum where economic, social and environmental issues can be discussed between a variety of actors and...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Advertising Campaigns (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: There are no advertising campaigns, promotional events and launches currently planned for the first six months of 2020. However my Department will participate in all appropriate advertising campaigns, events and launches as required, and in light of events such as, for example, developments on Brexit.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Data Sharing Arrangements (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach does not have any data sharing agreements in place with organisations other than Government Departments or state agencies.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Agencies Data (10 Dec 2019)

Leo Varadkar: National Statistics Board The National Statistics Board (NSB), with the agreement of the Taoiseach, has the general function of guiding the strategic direction of the Central Statistics Office.The Statistics Act 1993 provides for an eight-member NSB.Two are senior representatives of the Department of Finance and Department of the Taoiseach. Five persons are nominated, two by the Taoiseach...